A total of seven devotees were killed and several others were rendered injured after a stampede-like situation ensued outside the Ashok Dham Temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district on Monday, in the thick of a massive rush of worshippers on the third Monday of the holy month of Sawan. 

The incident triggered panic among devotees gathered outside the temple, while officials said rumours surrounding a fallen electric wire may have worsened the situation. Rescue operations were set in motion soon after the stampede, and the injured were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. 

Barricade collapse triggers chaos

Lakhisarai District Magistrate (DM) Shailendra Kumar said the situation transpired due to an unprecedented surge in the number of devotees, compounded by the arrival of two trains at around 6:30-6:45 am, causing the situation to spiral out of control. Kumar added that the administration had made arrangements anticipating a heavy footfall of devotees. However, the sheer volume of devotees eventually overwhelmed the barricading outside the temple. 

DM Kumar said, “The crowd swelled in an unprecedented manner. At around 6:30-6:45 am, two trains came here that too added to the crowd,” adding that the barricading on one side eventually collapsed under the pressure. 

He went on to say that people began falling over one another following the collapse, giving rise to a stampede-like situation. 

Rumour over electric wire fuels panic

Kumar said an electric pole subsequently fell on the right side of the queue meant for male devotees. Although the fallen wire was a cable and not a live electric wire, a rumour quickly spread among the crowd that people had been exposed to a live current. He further said the rumour caused additional pressure on the queue for women on the opposite side, resulting in several women falling on top of one another. 

Kumar added, “Police administration had been marching there since 3 am. This happened all of a sudden within a span of two minutes.”

Meanwhile, the Sub-divisional Officer of Police (SDOP), Shivam Kumar told news agency ANI that according to preliminary reports, an electric pole had fallen at the site and that people may have been electrocuted, triggering the stampede-like situation. 

However, he maintained that the precise cause would be established only after a detailed verification of the circumstances. He confirmed the death toll, adding that officials were working to ascertain exactly what led to the tragedy. 

Bihar CM announces solatium of Rs 4L

Bihar’s Chief Minister (CM) Samrat Choudhary expressed profound grief over the incident and directed the administration to ensure that all injured devotees receive prompt and proper medical treatment. 

He further announced a solatium of Rs 4 lakh for the family of each person who was killed in the incident. 

Notably, the Ashok Dham Temple, also known as the Shri Indradamaneshwar Mahadev Temple, houses a large Shivalinga and draws thousands of devotees, particularly during the sacred month of Sawan. The heavy footfall on the third Monday of the month had significantly increased the pressure on arrangements at the temple.